Publication: Re-designing wear-resistance super-hydrophobic surface for wave eliminator structures
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Date
2024-07-12
Authors
Mahesh a/l Mohanarajah
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Abstract
Malaysia's coastline is essential to its economy and the livelihoods of its coastal inhabitants, yet coastal erosion poses substantial concerns. The National Coastal Erosion Study (NCES) found that a significant percentage of Malaysia's shoreline is prone to erosion, an issue aggravated by climate change, monsoons, and human activity. This study looks on redesigning wave eliminator structures with wear-resistant superhydrophobic surfaces to better prevent coastal erosion. Traditional coastal constructions such as seawalls, breakwaters, and groynes, while often utilised, have limitations such as corrosion, high maintenance costs, and environmental damage. Superhydrophobic coatings, inspired by natural water-repellent surfaces, offer a potential answer by lowering wear and maintenance requirements while increasing the lifespan of these structures. The study uses Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations to assess the performance of five distinct coastal structure designs. The modelling findings reveal that mangrove-style breakwaters with superhydrophobic coatings are extremely successful at lowering wave speed and safeguarding shorelines. These breakwaters outperform typical constructions by significantly reducing wave impact and erosion. The study found that Design 1 (seawall) entirely stops wave passage but Designs 2 (mangrove-style breakwater) and 5 (another mangrove-style breakwater) greatly lower wave speed. Design 3 and 4 (coral-style breakwaters) are less effective and increase wave speed, making them unsuitable for coastal protection.